Loose Threads
by Fatespeaker
Summary: Darkstalker's story leaves us with a lot of questions. Who exactly was Queen Pearl, sister of Fathom? How much did the seer Allknowing really know? What happened to Thoughtful and Whiteout? Where did Clearsight's friend Listener go? These are the loose threads, the forgotten dragons. Let their voices be heard at last. (Collection of soliloquies from different perspectives.)
1. Pearl

**1\. Pearl**

"You are the queen of the SeaWings."

Who said that? Who said that to me? Maybe it was the sad council dragon, or the guard at the door, or the cousin who shakes and covers his face when he greets me. Maybe it was all of them.

Oh, all the murmuring. Everything behind my back. They are like me; they are wondering the same: Who?

Who will perform the funeral rites?

Who will crown the new queen?

Who will teach her?

Who will teach him?

He is here somewhere, in this castle. Maybe he is sleeping or maybe he is wondering too. Fathom, who watched me put on jewels, who chased me across sun-colored beaches. Fathom, who laughed. Fathom: the animus.

Oh no, I thought when I saw the blood, where is he? And I worried for him and I loved him. My brother.

Now I worry about the kingdom. Yes, the SeaWings: they all depend on you, Pearl. That's what the murmuring dragons tell me. The SeaWings are looking to you, Pearl.

My brother's wings hold magic spells. My brother is a danger. My brother is the crashing tide. He will smash us all into the rocks and break us with his words. Fathom. Who can stop him?

Every night I dream a scene: an animus killing his queen. The knife that slid across across her throat, that dripped dark red, who holds it? Albatross or Fathom? And who is the gasping queen? I see them both a hundred times, but the faces are twisted and blurry.

My brother does not laugh anymore. He is not allowed to be alone with me. I do not look at his face.

Queen Lagoon's mirror is in my talons. Her decorations shine on my scales. The safe ones, the ones that were not enchanted. The ones untouched by Albatross.

 _He_ was _her_ brother, too.

Fathom, are you like him?

I look into the polished glass. Silver, lined with dancing shapes of dolphins and fish and birds. The dragon who looks back is sad. Sad, small, scared. Queen Pearl. Say it. Say the name. It is yours now. It is you, and you must accept that.

You must flash hopeful colors. Bright green lies. You must swim around the castle. Nothing is wrong. Everything will be fine. You must deliver the speech that you did not write.

And you must wear the crown. Look. See? It is on your head. You wanted it. You wanted to wear it. Who put it there? Well, it is there now. It glitters in the mirror that the dolphins and fish and birds dance on. And mother? She is dead. And Lagoon? She is dead. And Fathom? He is bad.

Now the dragon in the mirror.

Queen Pearl. Who is she?

Oh, you know. Say it.

"I am the queen of the SeaWings."


	2. Allknowing

**2\. Allknowing**

"Don't name her that."

"Why not?"

"That name is too much pressure, darling. You want her to grow up with a name like yours?"

"Yes, I do. Rather, I _know_ she _will_."

And so I was named Allknowing. Allknowing, a name for a great seer. It fits me, and I can prove it.

Let me tell you a story about two seers. The story has not happened yet, but I know that it will.

One is young and foolish, and she is sitting at her desk, in a classroom. The other stands before the impatient, loveless faces of the class, using her years of hard-earned experience to try and put some sense in them.

Tell me, are you judging them yet? Are you picking who will be the hero?

We actually are quite similar.

Believe it or not, I was once like that dragonet. If a little less gifted and a little less stupid. I sat almost where she does now, perhaps a bit to the left. I took notes in the margin of my textscroll. I watched with bright eyes. I learned with eagerness. I looked forward to the day that I would be a true seer.

It was hard, I won't deny that.

I look back and see them. Teachers glaring at me with scrutiny, letting me know what I had done wrong. Parents looking over my shoulder, telling me to do more and do it better. Friends staring off as they ask why I no longer speak to them.

No matter. A NightWing in my place does what she must. She makes sacrifices, not choices. There are expectations. There are rules. A path must be followed.

The years of schooling paid off. My skills were honed to perfection. When Queen Vigilance named me the Royal Seer, at last I found some peace. A bored roomful of dragons cheered for me and Vigilance, on behalf of the Night Kingdom, thanked me.

Now what can I look forward to? I have all that I ever aspired to, all that I dared dream of. There is nothing more for me. So I look back, on all the years of work and stress. I look back and I am proud.

I have clawed my way to the top, and now the visions tell me that it is my time to fall. Little dragon, do you already know how?

I gaze into an uncertain future. There is tragedy up ahead, and we will be its heralds. One of us will make a mistake. One of us will ruin this kingdom.

It will not be me.

You see it too, don't you? With those wide, curious eyes of yours. We hurtle toward the same fate, Clearsight.

Little dragon, do you know how these things go? How the story with the two seers ends?

They will both suffer, for they see what is coming, and neither of them can stop it.


	3. Thoughtful

**3\. Thoughtful**

 _First, find the glass. The unwanted shards, the broken bits. Anything will do. Pieces of puzzles that have never quite fit._

Love isn't the problem. Our love isn't what hurts us. The IceWings and NightWings can hurl whatever they want at us, ostracize us, wipe us out of their history. I will stand beside her.

We were given fair warning. We knew what we were getting into, Whiteout and I. My friends told me to stop visiting her. My family threatened to disown me. I didn't listen, thank the moons. I chose to stay and struggle.

"She's Darkstalker's sister. There's a world of trouble ahead for you two."

Yes, Listener. I know.

Insults. Outrage. Judgement. We've been through it all. And there's more up ahead.

Maybe love is fragile. Maybe once our warm, molten hearts cool down, they become brittle and breakable. But you know what? That same love also makes us tough. It's strange and rare and precious. It's worth fighting for.

 _Melt the glass. In the absence of a proper furnace, several strong breaths of fire will do. Then gather it all on the blowpipe and shape it on the marver._

I still stare at all of her drawings in awe. She still laughs at the glass baubles I hang in her room. We say silly things to each other and discuss our feelings with creative adjectives. I forget about everything that's happened - all the tragedy and all the hatred - and I am _happy_.

Every time I see her face, I smile. I love how she glances back, waiting a moment before she grins. I love her soft voice, the way that she sometimes speaks with unusual emphasis. I love the odd little poems that she mutters in the morning.

 _Blow the glass with the pipe. Continue adding to it until it looks about right. Cut the score lines. Finally, use the punty rod to open the glass and finish the piece._

She sits by the window, painting. I am at my furnace, working on my glass ornament. I think I will etch snowflakes on it.

"We are a beautiful disaster."

Yes, Whiteout. We are.

She shows me her canvas. The colors are splattered and smeared, mixed up and perfect. It's wonderful, Whiteout. It's beautiful. I don't understand it. I don't have to. I adore it anyway.

We haven't changed that much. After all these years, we are still the same dragons. She loves me, and I love her. I love the life we've chosen. Thank you, Whiteout. Thank you for this beautiful disaster.

 _Let the glass cool and harden. Once that's done, there you have it. Hold it to the light. A work of art: new, different, and beautiful. Be careful. It's delicate._


	4. Whiteout

**4\. Whiteout**

Black.

They dreaded valleys. Black sky dreams. Seeing all the colors. Cracked too late.

Blue.

She hums a sad song. This is winter sorrow. I'm sorry, Mama, it's beautiful. That's why my father cried. I sat at the window, and sadness was a bird.

Purple.

Brother weeps silent. I don't like the morning. We are falling feathers. Autumn is just as sad. Ignore the bird.

Orange.

I see big skies. Happiness landed on me. Brother saw it too. Flowers in my heart. They grow without light. I am in love with morning.

Green.

We are all waterfalls. I'm dancing like snow. Fields of music outside. Like I can smile true now. Bird flew away, I think. We all flew away.

Yellow.

Busy words and worth. Almost joy. You are not perfection. Someone slips up but not yet. For now I am sunlight. One spins tapestries while I sing hope.

Gold.

Candles all around me. I have caught the stars. I try the golden apple.

Pink.

Windowsill of flowers. Life is on fire. I see smoke. I worry. Mama, I burn with starlight. Brother writes a hurricane lie. Hourglass tilts. I say not yet.

Red.

I am night. I am day. Understand me now. Think right, speak wrong. A stumbling warning. I'm falling like snow. The bird sings of blood.

Gray.

I speak like you now. I have been fixed. Father, are you happy? Father, is this what you wanted? These sentences are not mine. I don't like this. I want myself back.

Blue.

Blizzard music. Freedom perches on me. Blue, blue, blue. Pool of sadness. All over the ground. I burn out. Why relief. Not my brother. Loud wind. I wake up blue.

Black.

Raincloud grief. I cry storms. Drown the sad ghosts. There is nothing. Flowers wilted. Everyone went away. The fireflies died. The mountaintop, alone.

White.

A comet falls quiet. Here it is now. No more nightmares. Discovering the stars again. Then fade out. Morning is patient now. I hear all the music. I see all the colors.

The painting is done. Everything.

I like it. I spilled myself.

Do you like it, Thoughtful? Do you hear the colors' stories?

Yes. He sees the music.


	5. Listener

**5\. Listener**

I went and visited your parents today. They're scared, Clearsight. They want to know what happened. They want to know where you are. I had to tell them that I didn't know. I said that, wherever you are, I'm sure that you're fine. I lied.

You should have heard what they were thinking. Both of them. They haven't slept at all. Your dad paces the same room every night, hating himself. Your mom won't stop worrying. I want to help them, but I don't know how. I don't know what to do.

We're confused. The whole tribe is. Queen Vigilance has declared a state of emergency. We're still looking for a new home, a place safe from _him_. Everything is messed up. Everyone is frightened.

And you're still missing. _Poof._ Gone. No more best friend, Listener! I don't even know if you're alive.

Thoughtful and Whiteout left too, you know. At least they told us why. He was the only one left to care about her, apparently, since her whole family died and you disappeared. I tried to warn them. I told them to keep it secret. They ran off a few nights ago. The awful thing is: our tribe wanted them gone. They don't want her around, reminding them of Darkstalker.

I know I should have helped them more. I didn't know how. The Night Kingdom is in shambles, and I have done everything I can. I'm not a hero, Clearsight. None of us are. Yes, my family is safe, but we're also starving. NightWings fight over scraps now. That dragon you said you loved - he ruined us. This is what you left behind.

Maybe you are dead. Maybe Darkstalker killed you. That means I'm staring at the moons and talking to a ghost now.

No. No, I won't start crying about that. I won't give up hope, either.

Remember that night we freed the scavengers? The sea breeze was in our faces and the stars were bright. Remember how fun life was?

We were kids, messing around and saving some little creatures. We were smiling. I want that back. I want things to be normal again. How did it all go so wrong? I miss waking up and feeling happy. I miss the homework, the crushes, the classrooms. I can't believe that's all gone now. I can't believe that everything good disappeared so fast. And you, you went with it. You vanished and left me here.

I'm not mad at you. I'm just...

I'm lost. The world fell apart, and now I'm stuck picking up the pieces. This mess that you made - I'm still in it. I'm _still here_ , and you're not, and I need _help_ , Clearsight. I need a friend.

Where are you, Clearsight? Why did you go?


	6. Current

**6\. Current**

"Have you heard the news from the Night Kingdom?"

"No."

Water rushes over my scales. I like these tidepools. We have to come here more often. Nobody else has discovered them yet. The beach is ours! I smile. The water is lovely today.

Skinny palm trees stir slightly in the breeze. A seagull is squawking. The tide tumbles in just out of sight. I like the splash and murmur of the waves. Glancing up, I see that the sky's colors are almost as rich as the ocean's.

She touches my shoulder with her wing. That light tap. I know it well. I know it means _Current, don't drift off again._

Can I help it if everything is wonderful?

Flapping her wings, she scatters shining droplets. Her scales glow briefly. She is thinking hard. Random patterns light up, gibberish to an Aquatic-seeking eye, beautiful nonsense to me. I wonder why she is tense. Is she worried? Is her news distressing?

Now I am distracted. The Night Kingdom. That is where Fathom was sent to check on a dragon. That dragon, there were many discussions about him. Many closed doors. They say he has the curse of the animus. They say he is like Queen Lagoon's brother, my uncle, Albatross...

No, stop. No, don't drift. Everything is wonderful. I can't drift away.

The sound of a wave breaking brings me back. The ocean rises as high tide approaches. I like the patterns. I like predicting how the sea will move throughout the day. It helps me focus. It helps me remember how happy I am.

 _Current, don't drift off again._

That's just me, isn't it? Always drifting in and out with the tide. Sometimes I feel happier than ever, like I am now, or I _was_ just a moment ago. Sometimes I feel like I'm at lightless depths, trapped by the criss-cross of the currents, drowning in the memories. I never leave that night, not really.

The tide does not rest. It carries me in and out. Whenever I reach for the golden shores, the rip-current yanks me back to sea, and I cycle through it again. Maybe, one day, I will pool myself on the sands, and stay there and catch my breath. Maybe I'll stop jumping at loud noises, and seeing blood in the seafoam. Maybe. But I know how the ocean works. I know that, though patterns may shift, the tide never stops.

I watch the waves break. They sputter and crash. Their roar fades into familiar music. They haven't pulled me back yet.

"Well, what is it? What's the news?"

She pauses, then says, "Nothing, really. Never mind. Let's go look for shells, and we'll talk later."


	7. Sunset

**7\. Sunset**

Being princess of the SkyWings isn't as fun as you think!

There's a lot of pressure, a lot of expectations, and a LOT of duties. I may have heaps of treasure (what self-respecting princess wouldn't?), but it comes at a high price. Every step of these talons, every beat of these wings, has a purpose and meaning.

Yes, I was born with this title. That doesn't mean I don't work hard. As Princess Sunset of the Sky Kingdom, I must always serve and protect my fellow SkyWings. Every day, I'm reminded to do my best. I want to help this tribe.

My mother, Queen Carmine, has started watching me. She thinks I haven't noticed the change in her ways. All those little glances - does she think I'm stupid? No, of course not. She taught me well. Too well. She knows that I will soon be ready to lead. One day, maybe soon, I will sit on her throne.

You see, the SkyWings definitely want me as their next queen. Have you seen how popular I am? The mood of the palace is different. Whispered opinions have shifted, ever so slightly, in _my_ direction. Isn't that exciting?

Exciting and scary. Oh, it makes me feel faint. Not in a good way, either.

Look, I don't know how I feel about being _queen_. It would be an honor, and I know that, as the eldest princess, it's expected of me. I'm just, oh, I'm nervous! There are so many more expectations and duties for a queen - and don't even get me started on the pressure. I'm not ready yet. Will I ever be ready?

I don't know if I could ever kill my mother. I've never killed a SkyWing before. And deep down, very deep down, beneath all of these expectations, I think I love my mother. Could I...could I ever kill a dragon that I love? What if she kills me first? Oh, she definitely would! That's why I can't challenge her yet. Will I ever be ready to challenge her?

I live for my tribe. I have _so_ many ideas. Reaching out more. Mending some of our political errors. Bringing art and spirit back to the SkyWings. If, no, _when_ I have the power, I will do everything I can to help. One day, when I'm queen, I'll do so much good. The world will remember Queen Sunset.

Time to stop dawdling and get out there. I'm an envoy now! Time to prove myself.

I'm sure this will all be just fine. It's only SeaWings (they don't even breathe fire). How badly could tonight even go? Hopefully Queen Lagoon won't bore me to death. Well, wish me luck!


	8. Quickdeath

**8\. Quickdeath**

It was the first time I'd been assigned to kill a NightWing. I thought, it can't be any harder than the SandWing or the RainWing. Even if this one is magic. Those two went down so fast, not bloody at all. I thought, one strike when he's not looking, and everything will be done.

How wrong I was.

Maybe you know my name, but you will never know _me_. I am lost in the halls of the forgotten palace. These empty rooms and quiet stones are the only place for me now.

I had parents, who were proud of my success. I had friends, fellow assassins, who trained and laughed and worried with me. I had a special dragon whose voice made my heart thump fast.

And I had dreams. There were places I wanted to go, things I wanted to do, dragons I wanted to see one last time.

I was more than a name scrawled thoughtlessly into a history scroll. I was _more_ than a minor detail in the important dragons' schemes. What I wouldn't give to have one more day, one more chance to make the world remember the real me.

Ever wonder how I felt that night? I was nervous. I paced in my room for a few minutes, going over the plan. I sharpened my claws on that jagged wall. I wasn't ready to die.

This is the price of my failure: being remembered for it. I'm trapped, etched forever in the margins of history as _Quickdeath: the NightWing to tried to assassinate Darkstalker_.

Not _Quickdeath: the NightWing who tried to impress his friends_.

Not _Quickdeath: the NightWing who wanted to visit the desert_.

Not _Quickdeath: the NightWing who was kind of clumsy but worked hard and made his parents proud_.

And certainly not _Quickdeath: the NightWing who was going to ask his crush out and dance with her under the stars once he completed Vigilance's special mission_.

No, I am nothing but a footnote now. A bitter ghost, thrown suddenly into the path of history and then, just as quickly, discarded. To the dragons who study the past and write the future, I am just plot-twist in someone else's story. Not a hero. Not a villain. A detail.

That is all, then. That is all there is to me.

 _Quickdeath: the NightWing who tried to assassinate Darkstalker_.

I had dreams.


	9. Sapphire

**9\. Sapphire**

Some say that forgiveness frees the soul. I beg to differ. The weight of mine weighs heavy on my wings.

Albatross. When was the last time I heard that name spoken aloud? It seems that the only place I hear it now is in my most feverish of dreams. And, on the rare occasion that I explore them, my memories.

I used to push him into the waves.

"No wonder you can't swim! You're not a proper SeaWing!"

Yes, that is what I'd say. Or I would point and sneer as Lagoon said something. It was mean, I admit it. Never cruel, just mean.

Then we would laugh our high princess giggles. Our young voices finely tuned. Our blue eyes glittering - never cruel, just cold.

I remember once, when our teasing went a little too far, he finally broke down and wept. And I felt bad. I really did. I'd never thought of hurting him. I'd never been _cruel_ to him.

Looking back, there are things I should not have done. Mistakes I should not have made. What's the use of crying about that, though? I've mourned myself long enough.

The guards and servants whisper of insanity. I say now that I am not insane, nor have I ever been.

I know full well who I am, and what I lost. Princess Sapphire of the Sea Kingdom. I could have been a queen. I could have ruled the oceans. Instead, I sit here, forgotten, with only this island to call my own. And here is where I will stay.

Never crazy, just sad. Or angry.

Or bitter, perhaps. It has been so long, so many years. One can't sustain anger forever. Eventually it fades.

The tides of time wash it away. Like the footprints left by three royal children, or the shells placed along the beach by a princess with beautiful scales and cold, laughing eyes.

Yes, that is the way of both the ocean and time. The driftwood and the broken hearts will all get swept out eventually.

Do I hate my brother?

At this point in my life, it would do me no good to. I haven't enough time or energy left to really hate someone. But, deep in me, the bitterness remains. There is a residue called grief on my soul. That I will not let go of.

I wonder if he hated me. I was once certain of it. Surely, I thought, he must have truly loathed me to...to do such a thing to me. Now I don't know.

It took a while for the news of the massacre to reach me, but reach me it did. I have outlived my mother, my sister, my cousins, and everyone else who might remember the real Albatross. Here, in my memories, is where he will stay.

Never forgotten, just forgiven.


	10. Truthfinder

**10\. Truthfinder**

This letter I hold is full of lies.

If I send this, my name will truly become ironic. My heart will become a just a little bit heavier with that knowledge. The ghosts of the past will become just a little bit more restless.

But send it I will, because it must be done.

 _What did you know of the animus Darkstalker?_

Hard questions echo in my head as I fold up the parchment. Questions that I cannot bear to answer fully. They have haunted me for some time now. All that this recent correspondence did was dredge them up and bring them into focus.

 _Do you have any information worth sharing about the death of Prince Arctic or planned assassination of our queen?_

My talons move over my desk (pitiful thing, like the rest of my new residence) until I find my seal and a bit of blue wax. I cannot stop myself from pausing.

 _The queen would like to assure you that you are absolutely not blamed for any unfortunate incidents related to your former students. Professor Truthfinder, you are a respected part of our tribe._

She expects a response by today. So there is no time for inner turmoil. I breath a puff of fire, lighting the candle with which I will heat the wax.

I justify my dishonesty to myself, insisting that I don't have time to travel to the incomplete fortress and discuss my limited perspective on two dragonets. I have a family to tend to. A family that, thankfully, has been spared the poverty and suffering that afflicts so many of my tribe now. It's no use, I still feel sick inside.

For just a moment, I ponder the questions. I let myself face them, and the real answers angrily reveal themselves to me.

The truth is that I did notice things. I saw the glances passed between Clearsight and Darkstalker. I watched that troubled young prophet struggle through her classwork, visions of creation and destruction filling her head. I heard a hybrid dragonet thinking about his broken family, felt the hate and fear and pain that was in his mind.

And I did nothing.

My stomach turns as I realize that the weight on my chest is guilt, and that it is there to stay.

I drip wax onto the envelope and stamp it with my seal. Inside, folded four times, is a letter that reads:

 _Unfortunately, I have no information for the queen. Though Darkstalker and Clearsight were part of my class, I had not even an inkling of what would eventually transpire. Neither student showed any sign of distress. Best wishes to Her Majesty. Professor Truthfinder._


	11. Humpback

**11\. Humpback**

I remember our wedding day.

The depths of the ocean are still and quiet. I can rest here and recall a beautiful moment in time. That moment slips further and further away from me as I age, but I will hold it tight for now.

You wanted the ceremony on the beach, so that we could have music and dancing.

The sky was orange with sunrise. The ocean was calm and blue.

Familiar songs swelled like storm-tossed waves, the band playing as loud and joyfully as they could. The crowd cheered so loud. So many smiles, so much hope.

Your wings were draped with gold. Your forehead gleamed with sea glass and jewels. Your talons were placed over mine.

That day, I became a prince. I was wed to a princess of the Sea Kingdom. But in that moment, and even now, so many years later, all that mattered to me was my promise: the promise I made to the dragon I loved.

White sand flew everywhere as we spun over the beach. Our tails were twined and our wings were touching. All eyes were on us, following our dance. We splashed in the seafoam and swayed together. I forget the tune of the song...

You laughed, and you said the world was beautiful.

Before everything changed. Before any dreams or schemes for the throne even entered our minds. Before you killed your mother and wiped her blood on my scales. Before I was a king who stood beside a queen.

Before the power of your brother's magic consumed you. Before I watched our love stagnate and dry. Before your heart beat only for yourself and your eyes stopped shining when I greeted you.

Yes, before we changed.

Back then, everything was simple and bright. It was like floating in summer waters. Your cheek was pressed to mine. Our dance was a sea breeze, honest and light and free.

We were happy.

Lagoon, do you remember?


	12. Diamond

**12\. Diamond**

How dare you judge me.

I feel it now, the curse of my ancestors. Yes, a curse. That's what it is. Twice I have used my costly powers, only twice, and still I feel the rot eating at my soul. Did you not know that I suffer? Did you forget? That's a typical populace, the whole lot of you. Always forgetting.

If Arctic thinks I regard it as a gift, then he is every bit the fool I expected him to be. I hold the weight of a thousand worlds on my wings. And I bear my burden with dignity. No queen has faced what I have faced, seen what I have seen.

It is the duty of an IceWing animus to make something good of the evil. This duty I performed gladly, while my son utterly failed at it. A waste of magic. A waste of royal blood. All has gone to waste.

Now his NightWing is in my talons. What a pitiful thing she is. To think, this is the dragon who stole away my tribe's future, who brought the pillars of the world down with one swipe of her clumsy claws. She cowers, she regrets, but she has not yet _paid_. I cannot look at her. I stare off and fall silent.

Oh, soulless eyes, how you regard me. How you mock and revile. How dare you judge me!

Now a bit of light, and a moment of clarity. It is only me. It is only the thick, clean ice reflecting. Suddenly, I am sick. My own eyes repulse me. There is nothing more disgusting than the _truth_.

Shall I use the curse a third time? And drive myself to madness? Well, the whole world's gone to madness. No harm in a little more.

A thousand years from now, the dragons of Pyrrhia, thinking themselves so enlightened, will look back and laugh at us. They'll scoff at stupid Arctic, the foolish IceWing prince. They'll see his seductress Foeslayer as the smear on history that she is. The mixed dragonets? Ha! What a charmingly grotesque little story. And Diamond, oh silly Diamond, won't they get a kick about how hard she tried to _fix_ her broken life? Won't the legends adore her _useless_ attempts at justice?

Unless, of course, our whole tale is lost to the decay time. Wouldn't that be a blessing. There is no fate crueler than becoming history, being remembered by this world so revolting and wrong.

There will be no attempts at justice tonight, only vengeance. Oh, isn't that fine.

Long live Queen Diamond, and soon may she be forgotten.


	13. Vigilance

**13\. Vigilance**

It hits me in the middle of my evening walk. A pang in my chest and a truth in my mind.

Goodness, I am _old_.

Enjoying that realization, I watch the rising moons and breathe the warm spring air.

It all comes back. The wins and the losses. The joy and the sorrow. The war, the peace, the anxiety in between. I close my eyes, reviewing it all, and wrap my wings around myself.

I feel the steady rhythm of my heart in my chest. Old and tired, it beats on. It gives me one more night to savor.

I have led a balanced life. The first half brought me happiness, the latter took my payment in sorrow. I remember my easy ascension to the throne. The parties! The music! The love! I was flying high back then. It was the years that followed my age of bliss that brought me back to humble earth.

There's an old saying about us NightWings: we often turn out to lack the very attributes we are named for. I wonder now, was I not vigilant enough? There are things I should have seen and tragedies I should have prevented. A cold breeze blows in from the north, and my frail wings shudder. I think about the IceWings, about Queen Diamond and her unfortunate son. I do have some regrets.

The feud between our tribes is far from over. I suspect that the Night Kingdom and Ice Kingdom will war with each other for centuries to come. Yes, I am aware of the blood that stains my talons. I made my fair share of mistakes, the results of which will unfairly echo through time.

But this chapter of history? I think it's safe to say that I am the victor. I will be remembered as the hero. I protected the NightWings, and lived to see them survive. Most importantly, I made them a home here.

I think about my tribe and feel proud. A hard-won smile breaks on my tired face. Ah, the satisfaction of knowing that I did my best.

Oh, how the wind cuts my scales! Every ache in my bones and twinge in my skin reminds me that I don't have long. Soon I will join the rest of the legendary NightWing queens in the collective memory of the kingdom. I will be gone.

And yet I feel no fear. Why should I be afraid, when I have lived a good life? Why should I go sadly, when I know my legacy will be a happy one?

I stroll slowly toward the incomplete fortress, knowing now that I will not live to see the end of its construction.

I shall call Allknowing to me. We shall drink the finest wine and stare at the stars and celebrate my passing with stories of dragons long forgotten.


	14. Author's Note

**Author's Note**

With a heavy heart, I must say that this is the end of _Loose Threads_. Though it took me a while to plan each individual chapter, I always knew which number I wanted to end up with. Thirteen: the symbol of some sort of luck (often bad luck, but sometimes it's called lucky!). Perfect way to wrap up an odd little collection of poem/story/monologue things, right?

First off, I'd like to take this moment to thank everyone who reviewed! This project turned out to be a lot harder than I thought it would be (who knew fanfiction could be emotionally draining?!), and it was you who kept me going with all your support and kind comments. Special shout-outs to jadewolf334 and ImpossibleNightmare, who reviewed a ton and gave me so much inspiration!

 _Loose Threads_ has been an interesting journey for me as a writer. I hope it was just as interesting and fun to read! As much as I wish I could just keep writing these forever, I think I've run out to subjects. Plus, I've reached a point where I'm satisfied with all of the running themes and parallels in the collection. The tapestry has been completed, in a way.

I'm also gonna shamelessly advertise my other fanfics. I've got a parody story going, called quite simply _A Wings of Fire Story_. It's a bit lighter and sillier than these soliloquies, but if you like WoF fanfiction, you might enjoy it. The first chapter of _Cold_ will probably come out some time this year (I know, I know, I said that last year), so keep an eye out for that, I guess. I also write a lot if random one-shots.

In case anyone was wondering why their faves weren't included, I chose not to do Arctic, Foeslayer, Snowflake, and Snowfox because I felt like the winglet _Runaway_ had already captured all of their characters (I also miiiiight be doing a Snowflake/Snowfox story soon - no promises yet!).

That's about it. Thanks for reading! All feedback is welcome. Which "thread" was your favorite? Are there any characters you want to see more of?

I think this collection is best concluded by quoting Allknowing's prophecy for Clearsight.

 ** _"Dragon of chaos, tangling the webs, too many eyes and too many threads."_**

Whether or not the second chapter of this story convinced you to reconsider Allknowing, I hope you will at least consider her words, which were the basis for this project and the origin of the title.

A story is only as rich as its characters. Every single one of them is important. Every single thread matters, even the loose ones that don't seem to have a place. My hope is that by putting these dragons in the spotlight and giving them voices of their own, this collection will serve to enrich Tui's already amazing book. _Darkstalker_ is very much Darkstalker's story (obviously lol), but I think every character deserves a second glance, a chance to be seen. Thank you all for coming along on this journey and seeing them as I have.


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